Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 631

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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-How dare you ignore my voice and not come running barefoot?

A languid voice echoed through Kale Heniatus’s mind.

-Wait just a moment. You shall face punishment for disturbing this great one’s slumber. Human. I shall come find you with these two feet myself.

Oh, so it’s waiting. And it’s coming to find me.
Kale Heniatus’s laughter only grew louder.

-Hmm. I’m not entirely sure what’s happening, but for now, I shall simply observe.

At Dodori’s Mother’s elegant voice, Kale Heniatus nodded.
Even as he did, he continued to laugh.

“Why… why is he laughing like that?”

Tunka, who had been charging forward with such momentum, now hesitated and retreated, regarding Kale Heniatus as though observing something utterly foreign. It was a far cry from his earlier aggressive advance.

‘Kale Heniatus smiling so brightly! And in such dire circumstances, no less!’

Kale Heniatus had just overcome a trial from the gods, or so Tunka had heard.
Rest should have followed, yet Kale Heniatus could not rest, facing another danger threatening to consume the continent.
Tunka suddenly recalled words the Chief Advisor had spoken.

‘A true hero is one who smiles in times of hardship, Grand General.’

Ah.
An exclamation escaped Tunka’s lips unbidden.

‘My friend truly is a hero…!’

Tunka had never possessed even a shred of interest in books, and his subordinates had exhausted every stratagem in hopes of drawing their knowledge-starved lord closer to them.
Most had failed.
Yet in such circumstances, the Chief Advisor had quietly approached and casually handed Tunka a book.

【When silver light unfolds before your eyes, the world shall behold two beautiful wings.】

A book with a title that seemed entirely unlike Tunka’s taste. Yet the Grand General had read through the night.
The book the Chief Advisor had handed him detailed Kale Heniatus’s great exploits related to the Wipper Kingdom—tales that had spread throughout Wipper Kingdom like heroic legends.

Tunka approached Kale again, who laughed boldly in the face of such tremendous danger.

“Just as I thought! My friend is truly magnificent! Hahahaha!”

He too laughed heartily.
But Ritana, the ruler of the Jungle standing behind him, could not properly see the laughing Kale.

‘Compared to when we first met, he grows paler with each passing day.’

Ritana recalled the moment she first met Kale in the Misty Forest Cave. Even then his complexion was not particularly healthy, but compared to now, he had looked quite robust.
To think he greets us with such joy in that state.
Ritana felt a bitterness rising in her throat, a sourness that cut deeper than mere sadness.

‘Why does Kale willingly bear such a great burden—the peace of the world?’

She who ruled the Jungle.
She found even that overwhelming, yet this pale-faced hero sought to save this entire world.
Ritana could not suppress the bitter smile that crossed her lips.
If she erased even this smile, she feared she would face Kale with a twisted expression.

Then Alberu approached before Tunka and Ritana.

“You’ve arrived early.”
“Your Highness! Your Highness!”

At the same moment, the urgent voice of the Head Servant pierced Alberu’s ears.

Wiiiiing—Wiing—

And a warning alarm that seemed to shake all directions reached the ears of everyone present.

‘…An intruder?’

This alarm sounded when an unauthorized person forcibly attempted to breach the protective barrier.

“Your Majesty!”
“Head Servant, what is the matter?”

Alberu directed an urgent question at the Head Servant.
Ritana and Tunka’s faces hardened as well. They had grasped the general situation.

Representatives from across the Western Continent would soon visit this place.
The representatives from the Jungle Kingdom and Wipper Kingdom had already arrived.
And an intrusion had occurred in such circumstances?

‘This absolutely cannot happen!’

Alberu had deliberately kept today’s gathering secret from all but a select few. It had to be that way, of course.
Security was paramount.
The Head Servant glanced at Tunka and Ritana, about to relay the message in a whisper.

“Just speak.”

But at Alberu’s gesture, he quickly opened his mouth.

“Your Majesty! A man is currently attempting to breach the protective barrier over the northern sky!”
“What?”

The White Star?
It was the thought that flashed through each leader’s mind in that instant.
Then, someone seized Alberu’s arm.

“Your Majesty.”

It was Kale Heniatus.
Alberu paused, seeing Kale’s rigid expression—as if he had never smiled.

‘…Huh?’

That rigid face.
It was neither alarm nor anger.

‘…Annoyance?’

It was the expression of someone annoyed by an unwelcome burden.

‘…And the corners of his mouth are twitching?’

His lips, pressed firmly shut in an attempt not to smile, trembled slightly as they twitched upward despite his efforts.
No matter how I looked at it, his expression was one of annoyance mixed with the barely suppressed joy of something fortunate occurring.

Especially that smile.
It was precisely the expression he wore when acquiring a golden token or earning substantial wealth.

‘Something’s off.’

The moment Alberu sensed something amiss, Kale Heniatus whispered into his ear.

“Three of them, sir.”

Three?
Three of what?
Alberu suddenly wondered what he meant.

“The ones we’ve been searching for, sir.”

The ones we’ve been searching for?
Alberu tried to recall what he had been seeking. Then, as the word “creatures” came to mind, his gaze instinctively turned toward Kale Heniatus.

“Kale Heniatus.”

Since learning about Kale Heniatus, Alberu had experienced many surprises.
But this was different.

Three creatures?
The three creatures we’ve been searching for?
Those would be Dragons.
Three Dragons walked here on their own accord?

Alberu’s eyes posed countless unspoken questions to Kale Heniatus through their gaze alone.

“Yes. Exactly what you’re thinking right now, sir.”

Kale Heniatus nodded at Alberu with a radiant smile.
Twitch.
Alberu’s lips twitched just as Kale’s had moments before—the expression of someone fighting the urge to laugh.

“Your Highness, I shall handle this matter myself. You must attend to your guests.”

Alberu nodded at my words.

“Head Servant, my sworn brother will manage this. Move alongside him.”
“Yes, of course!”

The moment Kale Heniatus stepped forward—a hero who grew more magnificent with each passing day—the Head Servant’s anxiety eased, despite the urgent alarm bells that had rung moments before.

“I shall attend you, my lord!”
“Yes, let us depart, Head Servant.”

I followed the Head Servant out, offering a brief greeting to the two leaders who had come seeking me.

“We shall meet again shortly. I may not be able to attend the conference.”

At my parting words to Ritana, she smiled and shook her head.

“The conference is not what matters. Lord Kale, please—stay safe. Truly safe. Do you understand? Take care of yourself first.”
“Of course, I always look after myself tenaciously. Have I not always remained unharmed?”

Though Ritana’s concern struck me as odd, her gaze held such a wistful quality that I answered honestly enough. Yet urgency pulled my attention toward Tunka.
Thus I did not see the distortion that crossed Ritana’s face.
That’s why she couldn’t see Ritana’s distorted face.

“It has been a while.”
“…My friend, I shall come with you!”
“Why would you? You came here for important matters—attend to those first.”
“What you do is important too!”
“Enough. I must handle this myself. I am more than capable alone.”

Yes, absolutely.
Bringing three Dragons into our fold at once.
I have to step forward—who else would?
Of course, I’m not alone in this.
Including Raon, there are many who stand ready to aid me.

Kale Heniatus watched as even Tunka, that human bulldozer, fell silent and stared at him, but he opened his mouth without noticing their reaction.

“We’ll talk later. I’m in a hurry.”
“…Yes. Understood! May your silver light conquer this world!”

What nonsense is that?
Kale Heniatus cleanly ignored Tunka’s solemn-sounding drivel.
Then he left the room immediately with the Head Servant.
Ritana and Tunka watched his departing figure with expressions tinged with melancholy.
Only Alberu gazed after him, shaking his head slowly from side to side.

“Now then.”

And he seized this moment.

“As Young Master Kale Heniatus said, we too must attend to our duties, yes?”

At Alberu’s words, Ritana and Tunka fixed their gaze upon him.
Though his title was merely Crown Prince, he wielded influence that transcended the throne itself, commanding power across the entire Western Continent.

“Before we delve into details, I must ask you something.”

Alberu extended his hand.

“Will you stand with me?”

Ritana grasped his hand without hesitation.

“Of course.”

Tunka placed his hand atop theirs, his expression befitting a Grand General as he spoke.

“I shall commit all my strength to this endeavor.”

The two representatives felt the crisis approaching in real time, coursing through their very skin. Naturally, they resolved to offer their full support.
It was for the Western Continent, and for that precious friend who had stood for our nation in the past.

Alberu gestured with a radiant smile.

“Shall we head to the conference room?”

As Kale Heniatus receded from view, he mused to himself.

‘He’s probably delighted to skip the meeting.’

That thought proved accurate.

‘This is perfect.’

Kale Heniatus’s footsteps were remarkably light.

No need for a meeting at all, really. It was painfully obvious what would happen—the moment they laid eyes on me in that conference room, they’d launch into another tirade about heroism and destiny.
Having witnessed the throng that engulfed the Heniatus Duchy Mansion this morning, I had gained considerable insight.

I turned to the figure standing behind me.
He spoke to the person standing behind me.

“Understood.”
“Make haste.”
Hurry up.

Choi Han immediately walked in a different direction from Kale.

Human, I’m going too!

The Head Servant’s eyes flickered toward the departing Choi Han. An intruder had breached the estate, and now the strongest swordsman was being sent elsewhere—it naturally unsettled him.
The Head Servant glanced at Choi Han as he grew distant. An intruder had entered, and with the strongest swordsman heading elsewhere, he couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

“Ah, Young Master—”
“I am not going anywhere.”
I’m not going anywhere.

The Head Servant felt his throat tighten at Kale Heniatus’s words, which showed consideration for my anxiety despite his indifferent tone.
Since he worked in the Royal Palace, he could hear about Kale Heniatus’s movements faster than anyone else.
The Head Servant watched Kale Heniatus stride forward with quickening pace and put more strength into his own steps.
And with each step, he cast aside his anxiety.

‘That’s right! With the young master Kale Heniatus here, who would dare to carelessly threaten Roan! An intruder is nothing to worry about!’

The Head Servant did not know.
That quick pace stemmed merely from the lightness of heart—the joy of a dragon rolling in without a meeting to attend.

“Head Servant!”

The Head Servant arrived at the site of the intrusion.
His bearing was as fierce as a tiger’s.

“Head Servant! Wait—behind you!”
“…Commander!”
“Young Master!”

The knights and soldiers who had gathered to guard against the intruder relaxed their tense shoulders slightly upon seeing one figure.

‘The young master has arrived! He was at the Royal Palace!’
‘Now we can breathe easy!’

Kale Heniatus approached with an utterly composed expression.
The knights of Roan knew.
How many times he had saved Roan and the Western Continent with that very expression. Especially those who had fought alongside Kale Heniatus during the Roan Kingdom battles—their faces brightened.

But Kale Heniatus’s face hardened.

“Commander!”
“…I am no longer the Commander.”
“Once a Commander, always a Commander. The intruder is over there!”

The Vice-Knight Commander of the First Royal Knight Order, currently responsible for the scene, pointed toward a spot in empty space.
Kale Heniatus had already been looking at that very place.

‘…Is this bastard insane?’

Kale Heniatus had been curious about how the Dragon would find him.
After all, the Dragon had said, ‘Wait right there. You dare disturb the slumber of this magnificent being? You shall face my wrath, human. I shall come for you with these two feet myself.’

“…So he really is walking on two feet.”

From the sky, toward where Kale stood, as if an invisible carpet had been laid out, a man strode forward with confident, purposeful steps.

“He shattered the magical barrier with ease!”

Yes, he broke through it and is walking forward without hesitation.
Kale nodded at the Vice-Knight Commander’s words.

“He appears to be a formidable warrior—at minimum, someone with the prowess of a supreme-rank Mage. Mages are being dispatched here as we speak! He is certainly skilled, but that is to say—!”

The Vice-Knight Commander could not finish his sentence.
Kale completed the thought for him.

“He’s utterly mad.”
“…Yes…that is—”

The Vice-Knight Commander could not deny it.
Kale reflected silently.

‘Why does everyone I meet these days act like this?’

Then, the voice of the Dragon approaching with murderous intent reached my ears.

-Hmph! So you came on your own two feet! How dare you disturb my sleep?

Right. It seems I really did wake him from slumber.

The Dragon walked forward.
Barefoot.
And in pajamas.
Tucked under his arm was a long, plush pillow—apparently meant for sleeping.

Kale gazed at the Dragon in pajamas, his bare feet touching the ground.

It was half-shaved.
Moreover, there were some scratches etched on both sides of the head, forming intricate patterns.
And scratches had been etched into the eyebrows as well.
In contrast, the pajamas had an adorable design.

‘…Could 【The Birth of a Hero】 be wrong?’

Lately, Kale Heniatus had been increasingly convinced that the account in The Birth of a Hero regarding dragons was inaccurate.

“At last, I see the face of the wretch who dared disturb my slumber!”

The Half-Shaved Dragon, voice dripping with swagger, descended barefoot and strode toward Kale Heniatus with expansive steps.

“P-protect the Commander!”
“Stop him!”

Kale Heniatus raised a hand.

“It’s fine. I know this person.”

At his words, the commotion around them subsided into silence.

“You know them, sir?”

At the Head Servant’s question, Kale Heniatus regarded the Half-Shaved Dragon quietly.
Those wide, glaring eyes fixed upon me brimmed with irritation.
For the first time in a long while, I found myself oddly pleased to see a presence that regarded me with such exasperation.
After all, it was a golden nugget that had rolled into my lap of its own accord.

“Well, you could say we know each other, or perhaps we don’t.”
“What did you say?”

The Half-Shaved Dragon, as if dumbfounded by Kale Heniatus’s response, halted inches from his face and glared at him.
Vertically elongated pupils pierced through me with an unwavering gaze.

“Quite the peculiar human, aren’t you?”

The human before my eyes harbored so many things within that I could not fathom them at a glance.

“However, you must be punished for disturbing my sleep!”

The Vice-Knight Commander stared at him shouting in pajamas with an expression that suggested he wanted to curse right then and there. The Vice-Knight Commander hadn’t even entertained the slightest notion that such a madman could be a Dragon.

“However! You seem like quite an amusing existence.”

The Dragon’s lips curled upward.

“Now I understand why those two other bastards outside were observing you.”

The Half-Shaved Dragon recalled the two Dragons who appeared to be family. The older Dragon among them had quietly observed this human before him.
A grin spread across the Half-Shaved Dragon’s face.

“I shall graciously forgive you by merely breaking your limbs!”

Since he was an amusing fellow, it would be entertaining to keep him alive and attack him in various ways to make him unleash the power dwelling within that body.

“What kind of absurd nonsense is this…!”
“Oh, merciful heavens!”

At his words, soldiers scattered throughout the area and the Royal Court members watching gasped in horror. The Knights remained silent without any orders from Kale Heniatus, merely observing, but their hands trembled with rage.

“Hmm.”

Yet Kale Heniatus remained composed.
He tilted his head slightly, regarding the Dragon in pajamas.

“Did you not hear why I sought you?”

At those words, the Dragon’s frown deepened instead.

“Why should I listen to that? Those spirit bastards were so loud searching for me that their noise woke me from my sleep. And I heard that it was you searching for me. That’s all that matters—why should I care about the reason a mere insect like you is searching for me?”

Snort!
He scoffed and stirred mana around him.

Uuuuuuung–
Gray-tinged mana gathered.

Clang, clang!
At the same moment, the knights surrounding Kale Heniatus drew their swords.
Overwhelmed by the profound mana, they forgot Kale Heniatus’s orders and reflexively unsheathed their blades. The mana contained such destructive power.

“You’re punishing me?”

Kale Heniatus tilted his head slightly further.

“Yes. Human.”
“Hmm. You’ll regret it, won’t you?”
“Ha! Regret? Are you, a mere creature, now speaking of regret to me?”

Watching the Dragon’s expression of utter exasperation, Kale Heniatus reflected.

‘So that’s why Obante Mayor was so terrified and shocked when he saw a Dragon.’

If the first Dragon one ever encountered was like this one before him, how frightening it must have been.
Understanding that sentiment, Kale Heniatus spoke calmly to the Dragon emanating mana.

“Yes. You will regret it.”
“…How dare you speak of regret to this—”

The Half-Shaved Dragon stopped mid-sentence, hesitating as his head jerked urgently in another direction.

The human before him.
From the direction this human named Kale Heniatus had come, something approached.
A being of tremendous power drew near.

A Dragon.
Unmistakably a Dragon.

Then, a calm voice echoed in the Half-Shaved Dragon’s mind.

-It seems too late to regret now.

The ancient Dragon he had observed from beyond the barrier.
That Dragon was powerful, yet the strength it possessed was finite.

But this approaching Dragon is different.
It possesses a ferocity of power comparable to my own.

The platinum-haired figure caught my eye.
A swordsman with a peculiar aura—a platinum-haired knight following behind a dark-haired youth of considerable strength for a human.

Last night.
After meeting Dodori, Kale Heniatus asked Raon to summon Erhafen.
It seemed likely that Dodori’s Mother and Erhafen knew each other.

But with the situation changing, Raon sent an urgent message, and Choi Han went to meet Erhafen a bit earlier.
Erhafen, dressed as a knight, swept back his platinum-blonde hair and gazed at the Half-Shaved Dragon.

-So you’re looking to get beaten, are you?

At that cold warning, the Half-Shaved Dragon felt a chill run down its spine for the first time in ages—or perhaps for the very first time.
It was then.

-Hmm!

A Dragon’s aura was sensed from another direction.
This was unmistakably the same power felt beside Kale Heniatus earlier.

-Touch our humans and I’ll smash you to pieces!

Though the voice was still young, the momentum rising from it was remarkably fierce.
And one more.

“Hmm!”

The Dragon lifted its head.

Thud.
A being descended from the sky to the earth, aiming an arrow at it.

“If you lay a finger on our Shield Prince, I won’t let it slide!”

The pink-curled Dragon that had been with the other Dragon moments ago appeared with a fierce huff.
That one was also a Dragon.

As the Half-Shaved Dragon’s anger gradually subsided, he found himself thinking that there were far too many dragons in this place.
In all his years, he had never encountered so many dragons at once.

…And three dragons—rare sights in themselves—were taking the side of a single human.
That was something he had never experienced, nor even heard of in all his existence.

Once more, the dragon heard the Platinum-Haired Knight’s voice.

-Do you want to die? Want to be beaten into dust? Huh? Should I turn you to dust? It’s been so long since I could really let loose. The sky’s overcast anyway, so you’d need to take quite a beating to scatter like dust.

At that moment, the human standing before the Half-Shaved Dragon approached and whispered.

“The Lord is looking for you.”

…The Lord?
…The Dragon Lord?
There was a Lord? There wasn’t one before? What is this about?
It doesn’t seem to be a lie though?

The Half-Shaved Dragon’s anger completely dissipated the moment he fully awoke, and inexplicably, a chill ran down his spine.
He looked at the human before him.

“Do you regret it?”

Kale Heniatus asked this with a gentle smile.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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